1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a support provided with a super-absorbent material, to a method for preparation thereof, a method for manufacturing the super-absorbent material, in addition to the use of the support in different products.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such a super-absorbent material is described in NL-A-1000572. With the "swelling coating" described in this patent application is proven that a paste, which after drying and curing has super-absorbent properties, is applied most effectively (i.e. with the best absorption properties) via a template application technique. Using this printing technique the islets of paste are applied such that after drying and curing they have a diameter of 200 .mu.. A second advantage of application in this manner is that release of the coating is prevented. Because the used polymer is very hard, full surface coating is not possible therewith since after drying the coating as it were breaks off the substrate. Even after application of the coating in the form of islets, these will still sometimes "break off". A drawback to the application technique, and therefore the form of the coating, is that the application is limited. It is theoretically possible to apply a maximum such that the islets of 200 .mu. are 200 .mu. from each other and, if they are completely (semi-) spherical, are a maximum of 100 .mu. high. Theoretically therefore, application will be a maximum of 70 g/m.sup.2. This application is however less because the applied coating contains 70% water and the dot therefore also shrinks. Nor is the applied dot ideally semi-spherical, whereby it is very difficult in practice to apply more than 50 g/m.sup.2 (dry).
In the first instance a possibility was sought of making the coating softer so that after application it is no longer so hard that the coating "breaks off" at the slightest mechanical load.
Research has been carried out into two types of softener; a softener between the polymer and a softener which is "fixed" to the polymers. In addition to the first type of softener not being recommended in the case of a cable sheathing material (corrosion of the insulation), it has also been found not to work, the coating remained brittle.